90 Opposite Neighbours. 



ft I don't know who you mean by Mrs. Murray," I replied, with great 

 seriousness. "It is of Lady St. Leger and her sister that I am about to 

 speak." And 1 then told him every circumstance of guilt, with their 

 corroborating proofs, to which I had been so unwilling a witness ; I told 

 him all without disguise j to all of which he listened, as I thought, very 

 calmly, apathetically indeed considering he was a friend of the family ; 

 but on the conclusion of my recital, to my great dismay he arose, put 

 on his hat, and looking at me sternly, said, "Sir, the lady whom you 

 have thus honoured by so great a share of your attention is not the 

 intriguante you suppose, is not the paramour of Sir Charles St. Leger, 

 but is no other than his wife and my god-daughter. I wish you, Sir, 

 a good morning." 



*< Wife! God-daughter !" I repeated in a faint voice. "But, General, 

 for God's sake, one instant, the elder lady ?" " Is Lady St. Leger's elder 

 sister, the wife of the gallant Captain Murray, whose absence on service 

 she has been for some time lamenting ? His ship has arrived at Ports- 

 mouth, and they are all gone to meet him." He had reached the door; 

 I was in an agony ; my hair stood on end ; " One word more, the 

 Viscount ?" " Is Captain Murray's elder brother. And before I take my 

 leave, permit me to wish you a better occupation than clandestinely 

 watching the actions of others, of misinterpreting the actions of an 

 amiable and virtuous lady, and traducing the character of an estimable 

 man, whose refinement of feeling you have neither mind to understand 

 nor appreciate. Sir, I wish you again a good morning." 



What would I not have given at that moment of shame to have been 

 on my travels down the bottomless pit. Anywhere rather than on the first 

 floor at Brook-street. I was positively at my wits end. 



I hung my head, completely abashed, discomfited I had nothing to 

 say, absolutely not a word and was thoroughly ashamed of myself and 

 my ingenuity. Had I possessed a tail, I should have slunk off with it hang- 

 ing down between my legs, ia the manner I have seen a discomfited dog 

 do : but I had no such expressive appendage, and I could only ejaculate 

 to myself at intervals during the whole of the next three days 



" God bless my soul ! what a false scent I have been on ! And for a 

 bachelor gentleman too, not at all given to invention ! Yet how was I to 

 guess that a wife could be in love with her husband ? There is some ex- 

 cuse for me after all. God bless my soul ! " 



P. S. The St. Legers are returned Capt. Murray is with them 

 French blinds are putting up all over the house, " Othello's occupation's 

 gone," can't stand it off to the continent. 



